Removal of carbonaceous materials from vessels



Nov. 6, 1934. L. c. HUFF REMOVAL OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS FROM VESSELSFiled Jan. 26, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR LYMAN C. HUF'F 5 @ZQW ATTORNE Nov. 6, 1934. L. c. HUFF REMOVALOF- CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS FROM VESSELS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26,1931 INVENTOR LYMAN C. HUFF ATTORNE L. C. HUFF Nov. 6, 1934.

REMOVAL OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS FROM VESSELS Filed Jan. 26, 1951 3Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 4

INVENTOR LYMAN C. HUFF ZW ATTOR Y Patented Nov. 6, 1934 UNITED STATESREMOVAL OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS FROM VESSELS Lyman C. Huff, Chicago,Ill., assignor to Universal Oil Products Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of South Dakota Application January 26, 1931, Serial No.511,196

5 Claims.

This invention relates to the removal of carbonaceous materials fromvessels generally, and is more particularly directed to a method andmeans for removing deposits of coke, carbon, or other carbonaceousmaterials or residues remaining within reaction chambers, coke stills,residuum redistilling chambers or the like employed in an oil crackingoperation.

There is disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,548,004 an apparatusfor removing carbon deposited in an enlarged reaction chamber,consisting of a flexible metal member releasably supported within saidreaction chamber at a plurality of different vertical points and adaptedto be distributed vertically throughout "the deposited carbon collectedin said chamber and to be withdrawn therefrom to disrupt the entire massof carbon deposit. The present invention constitutes specificimprovements in the method and means of removing carbon deposits, asdisclosed in my said United States Patent No. 1,548,004.

In one particular. embodiment, the present invention comprises a methodand means of removing coke or carbonaceous material which may bedeposited within an enlarged chamber used in any well-known type of oilcracking process. While the following description will deal with theapplication of the invention to a reaction chamber of a crackingprocess, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limitedthereby, reference to such a particular chamber being merely forpurposes of illustration only. The principles of the invention areapplicable to any type of apparatus which may be employed in suchcracking processes andwherein carbonaceous accumulations may occur. I

A feature of my invention provides for the withdrawal of a cable,suspended in the carbon deposited within a chamber, through alower'manway opening, and the use of i a series of roller blocks orsheave wheels to guide said cable during its removal from said chamber,and to change the direction of pull from a substantially vertical planeto a substantially horizontal plane.

Another feature of the invention provides for attaching or anchoring oneend of a cable to the bottom of a manway cover sothat on removal of saidcover, a free end of said cable will be available for withdrawal, thusaffording an easy access for the pulling of the balance of the cable.

My invention may further provide for disposing a cable in a series ofsubstantially horizontal planes vertically disposed throughouta chamber,or through that portion of the chamber wherein carbonaceous materialsmay settle. The cable may be wound in a spiral form in each of saidplanes, starting at a point near the center of the chamber, andcontinuing to a point near the inner wall of said chamber.

Another feature provides for a variation in the a number of coils, andany other coil or coils disposed at different elevations in a chamber.For example, the spacing between the turns in the three lowest coilswithin a chamber may be closer than the spacing between the turns in thehigher coils. The vertical spacing between the various substantiallyhorizontal coils may also be varied to suit requirements. 7

Another feature of my invention permits pulling the cable from astarting point near the-center of each coil, which point will be atsubstantially a vertical mid-point of the chamber, and extending outtoward the inner wall of said chamber. This may be accomplished bywinding a cable in each layeror coil, starting always at a centralpoint, continuing out to the outer turn of each coil, and then extendingback from the outer turn to the central point of the next succeedinghigher coil, and so on throughout the entire series of coils Within thechamber.

My invention also provides for winding each coil in a, directionopposite to the winding of the next preceding coil. For example, thefirst coil may be wound in a clockwise direction; the next Fig. 1 is avertical cross-section of a chamber,

showing a cable disposed therein in one applied form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of a chamber, taken on a line C'C' ofFig. 1;

.Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of a chamber, taken on a line D'-D' ofFig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to Fig. 1, showing achamber charged with carbonaceous materials and accessory means for theremoval of a cable and such carbonaceous materials.

Referring to thedrawings, there is shown an enlarged vertical reactionchamber 1, of any conventional type, having an upper manway oropenchamber 1 ing 2 and a lower manway or opening 3, the latter having asuitable removable cover 4. Suitably welded or otherwise secured to theinner surfaces of said chamber 1 are a series of lugs 5, adapted toreceive and retain supporting members or wires 6. The lugs 5 may befastened or secured at various points around the entire circumference ofchamber 1 in substantially horizontal planes, spaced at variouselevations, corresponding substantially to the planes in which the coilsof a cable or other flexible metallic member '7 may be disposed. Wiresor supports 6v may be strung between each pair of diametrically opposedlugs 5 to form a series of radial supports upon which the cable '7 maybe coiled. Said wires or supports are of sufficiently heavy gauge as tosupport the normal weight of any cable or metallic member employed, yetare of suificientlylight gauge to permit their breaking away from lugs 5when the cable 7 may bepulled from the Cable 7 is employedto disrupt thecoke or other deposition within chamber 1, and may be disposedat thevarious substantially horizontal planes vertically disposed throughoutsaid chamber in which the cable is wound, as indicated diagrammaticallyin the drawings at A,

B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, and N.

The lower end of cable '7 may be wound in the 2 form of a small coil 8,and the extreme end of said cable, below the coil 8, may be fastened byany desired means to the manway cover 4 at a point 9. If desired saidcable may be welded or otherwise permanently secured to manway cover4,-but may preferably be clamped or otherwise attached to said cover insuch manner as to be readily removable therefrom on'removal of the coverfrom said chamber. This will permit a hitch being readily made to thelower end of the cable so that it may be wound around a drum or a, winchor other suitable cable-pu1ling device (not shown). The cable, ofcourse, may be ejected from the chamber by means of any other suitabledevice, such as a tractor, in which case,

it cover 4 should be permanently attached to the end of the cable, noserious difiiculties would be presented. Coil 8 may preferably be woundwithin the neck of manway opening 3, so that when the cable is placedwithin the chamber, coil 8 will lie relatively close to cover 4 so as tobe easily pulled free from the coke deposition within the chamber whensuch cover is removed for the cleaning of the chamber; thus affording asufiicient length of cable-to form a hitch below the bottom of achamber.

It frequently happens-that the carbonaceous deposit near the bottom of achamber may be of a relatively tougher nature than that in the upperportions thereof, due, in part, no doubt, to its being subjected to agreater time period of reaction. In order that the strain imposed on acable during the pulling operation may be equalized throughout theentire length of-said cable, the horizontal spacing between the: turnsof the cable and the vertical spacing between adjacent coils thereof maybe less in the lower portion of said chamber, (or any other portionwhere the-coke is be noticed particularly irtFig. l, for example, thatthe horizontal spacing S between each of the turns in the three lowestcoils in the chamber is less than the spacingv S between each of theturns of the coils in theupper portion thereof; and also that theverticalspacin'g'V between the first andsecond and the second and thirdcoils is less than the vertical spacing V'between any two adjacenthigher coils.

It will be noted, on reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, that each coil ofcable 7 may be wound from a central starting point, such as P or P, fromwhich point it may be spiralled or coiled in a substantially horizontalplane to an outer point closely approximating the wall of chamber 1,such as Q or Q; thence from said latter points, back to the centralpoints P or P of the next succeeding coil. By effecting a winding of thecable in this manner, provision is made for first dislodging thecarbonaceous material from the center of each successive layerthroughout the chamber, forming a clear path in each successive layerfor the removal of deposits loosened by the continued pulling of thecable lying from said central point to the outer limits of the interioror" the chamber. In this manner, all coke may fall in the most directpath to the bottom of manway 3 and out of the chamber. Another advantagefor commencing each coil-or cable at or near the center of the chamberis that a means is provided whereby the removal of each successive layerof coke is started when the cable is in a substantially vertical plane,imposing less strain on the cable than when the pull is exerted in aninclined plane. In this main nor, there is maintained a uniform strainon the cable throughout its entire length during the enthe pullingoperation; s

It will be noted, particularly in Fig. 2, that the cable may be coiledin a counter clocltwlse direction, and that such counter-clockwisewinding may be utilized for the coils disposed in the planes A, E, G, I,K, and M, as well as in the plane C in Fig'. 1; while in Fig. 3 thecable is coiled in a clockwise direction which may also be utilized forthe coils disposed in the planes B, F, H, J, L, and N, as well as inplane D of Fig. 1. Thus it will be apparent that each coil may be woundin the opposite direction to the next preceding coil. It has been foundthat this arrangement peri'nits the cable, while being removed from thechamber, to coil in such a manner that it does not become snarled ortangled, thereby greatly facilitating re 8 arranged in series and sodisposed that the cable passing over the grooves of said wheels willconform to a relatively large radius, thus minimizing any tendency ofthe strands of said cable to stretch or break. This series of rollers orsheave wheels 8 may serve to change the direction of pull on the cablefrom a substantially vertical to a substan tially horizontal plane, sothat the cable may be wound around the drum of a winch or other suitablepulling device placedat or near the ground level and out of the way ofthe falling coke being discharged from the chamber. The deposit of coke9 within said chamber, on a pulling of said cable and a resultingloosening, falls by gravity onto a conveying device l0,such as acontinuous belt conveyor, passing the disrupted coke l1 toi ceousmaterial from vessels employed in oil crack-i ing processes by pullingfrom such deposit a flexible metallic member suspended within saidvessel and carbonaceous material, disrupting said deposit and permittingthe removal thereof from said vessel by gravity. Briefly, provision maybe made for the pulling of a flexible metallic member through the lowermanway opening of a vessel being cleaned; changing the direction of pullon such member by means of a series of roller blocks, sheave wheels orthe like in order that said flexible member may be bent to conform to asufficiently large radius to prevent undue stress to said member;anchoring one end of said flexible member to the cover plate of thebottom manway opening of a vessel to permit easy accessibility to saidmember; placing the flexible member in a vessel in the form of a seriesof substantially flat, spiral coils, extending horizontally fromsubstantially the central point of said vessel to a point near the innerwall thereof, and disposing each of said coils at superimposed levelswithin a vertical vessel; disposing the turns of the coils of saidflexible member in such manner that the horizontal spacing between suchturns and the vertical spacing between adjacent coils in superimposedrelation within any desired portion or portions of a vessel in closerrelation than the vertical and horizontal spacings of said coils inother portions of said vessel; winding each successive coil of saidflexible member so that the pulling of each coil is commenced at itscentral point, said pulling continuing progressively throughout saidcoil to its outermost point and thence returned to the central portionofthe next succeeding coil; and winding or spiralling each of saidsuperimposed coilsin alternate opposite directions.

It is to be understood, of course, that any one, any combination, or allof the features of the invention may be utilized to facilitate cleaningor the removal of deposited material from any type of apparatus orequipment to which the features of the invention may relate or apply.

I claim as my invention:-

1. A process for the removal of carbonaceous deposits from vesselsemployed in oil cracking processes which comprises disposing a flexiblemetallic member within a vessel employed in a cracking operation in aplurality of substantially horizontal superposed spirals, prior to thecoinmencement of said operation, alternate spirals of said member beingwound in opposite directions outwardly from the center, and disruptingand removing the mass of carbonaceous deposit formed within said vesselduring said cracking operation by forcibly withdrawing said flexiblemetallic member from said vessel on discontinuance of said crackingoperation.

2. A process for the removal of carbonaceous deposits from vesselsemployed in oil cracking processes which comprises disposing a flexiblemetallic member, prior to the commencement of a cracking operation, insuperposed horizontal planes within said vessel, said member being woundin spirals in each of said planes from an axis common to each of saidspirals, the lowermost spirals of said flexible member being spaced incloser superposed relation than the uppermost spirals of said member,and disrupting and removing the mass of carbonaceous deposit formedwithin said vessel during said cracking operation by forciblywithdrawing said flexible metallic member from said vessel ondiscontinuance of said cracking operation.

3. A process for the removal of carbonaceous deposits from vesselsemployed in oil cracking processes which comprises disposing a flexiblemetallic member within a vessel prior to the commencement of a crackingoperation wound in spirals, each of said spirals being successivelysuperposed in spaced horizontal planes within said vessel and wound froman axis common to all of said planes in a direction alternate andopposite to the direction of winding of the preceding or succeedingspiral, and disrupting and removing the mass of carbonaceous depositsformed within said vessel during the cracking operation by forciblywithdrawing said flexible metallic member from said vessel ondiscontinuance of said cracking operation.

4. A process for the removal of carbonaceous deposits from vesselsemployed in oil cracking processes which comprises disposing a flexiblemetallic member within a vessel employed in an oil cracking operation ina plurality of substantially horizontal superposed spirals, thesuccessive or adjacent windings of said superposed spirals disposed inthe lower portion of said vessel being spaced in relatively closerrelation to each other than the successive windings of spirals disposedin the upper portion of said vessel, and disrupting and removing themass of carbonaceous deposit formed within said vessel during saidcracking operation by forcibly withdrawing the imbedded flexiblemetallic member from said vessel on discontinuance of the crackingoperation.

5. A process for the removal of carbonaceous deposits from vesselsemployed in oil cracking processes which comprises disposing a flexiblemetallic member within a vessel prior to the commencement of an oilcracking operation, in a plurality of superposed horizontal planesspiralled to conform to successive layers of carbonaceous deposit to beformed during the continuance of such cracking operation, alternatespirals of said member being wound in opposite directions outwardly fromthe center, and disrupting the successive layers of the accumulatedcarbonaceous deposit surrounding said flexible member within said vesselon discontinuance of said cracking operation by withdrawing saidflexible member at a point commencing substantially at the centralportion of the initial layer of said accumulated deposit, continuingsuch withdrawal and disruption throughout the remainder of said layer,and repeating the disrupting and withdrawing action throughout theremaining successive layers of said accumulated deposit.

LYMAN C. HUFF.

